house of the papyrii, alys beach, fla.

single-family production / attached / grand

Despite tight constraints, Khoury & Vogt Architects designed this spacious, light-filled house with an efficient plan. Their efforts were much appreciated by our judges. It “does a lot on a very small site,” observed one. “It's a really sweet project.”
The design draws inspiration from the courtyard-style casitas common in Antigua Guatemala, an architecturally significant city in central Guatemala. “You first enter a zaguan,” says Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, AIA, referring to an entry passage leading to a courtyard. “There's a pool on one side and a loggia on the other, so there's ample outdoor space before you even get to the front door.” A chimney draws light down into the loggia and reflects it off of a stucco-framed mirror. A second, rear courtyard does double duty as a garden and dining pavilion. Three separate loggias on the second level offer additional outdoor space, while also illuminating private realms. “Almost every room has access to the outdoors,” Khoury-Vogt says.

Situated with a sight line exposure to the gulf, the house is further brightened by Mediterranean-inspired interiors and a material palette of white stucco, Spanish cedar, Dominican shell stone, and colored Cuban concrete tiles. “It has lots of light and speaks eloquently to the anonymity of the city,” said a judge.